The Sun. — London, England, 1838-04-03 00:00:00

a ral Mr. Harvey, as to the state of tic pleadings, which the J.earned Judge observed were now different from what they were on the firmer trill, the contract and its breach having, bee' • admitted in the present case. . _ Mr. li ARV eY resumed—Here are six actions brought against rme at this moment ; one has already been tried. I eSeael'l presume the costa in one the that has been tried, w!teh taxed, would tee :Innis thing about AL or 604, end when you have seen the witnesses examined here teedey,hrought down in shoala, =A who have been examined. he ad nauseam—( Laughter)— why, the verdict is comparatively trifling to what the coats will be I And yet, "hat is all this for ? Why flit 20/ , - the d fierenee between 40/ and 60/. If I had paid ea or 60/. or 701. into Court, or anything short of three guineas a week, they would still have come to you and said that wee. not sufficient. Even to-day, if you were to add a cubit to this ver dict, it would be no protection to me, because they would rive ate notice of trial for somewhere else. Perhapa, as the sum ener advances, and the gentlemen ere disengaged, the core, of reporters would like ecru well to eo down on a Saturday night to Brighter,—( Laughter) —that they might be near at hand for Lewes. There is no reason why they should not. Such is the beautiful perfection of the law, that the plaintitr can draw the defendant wheresoever he chooses—te any Court—to any place. Therefore it is that I wish to impress on your minds the extreme injustice of a proceeding of this sort—that an individual, after be has paid into Court that sum %hid, an intelligent Jury pronounced to be sufficient— that he should be dragged down here on a :peculation, after they have treeanned from him his Counsel, with a knowledge of all the facts of his case, that they may bewile you into some greater amount of damages. But it is said in this de claration that Mr. Knox is wholly unemployed. You have had evidence to-day that he is engaged on the Morning Ad rertiNer at four guineas a week. The declaration also states that he has been deprived of the advantage of getting engaged on anther evening paper. I will show you that he could not have been so deprived, for I will show you there was no engagement to obtain, and I will show you, moreover, that if there had been he could not have obtained it. As his Lord ship has intimated that it was not convenient in the present state of the pleadings to make any remarks on the agree ments or memorandum before me, I would call your at tention to that statement in the declaration, in which he says he has been dismissed " without probable cause." Now there was a sly hint given to-day, that after these gentlemen, as singularly expert reporters, had worked the True Sun up to noon-tide prosperity, that then it was that I, wishing to bask in the warm influence of that pros. perity, which was the birth of their exertions, sold the True Sun for a profit, and am perfectly indifferent as to all these hapless individuals, who, when the True Sun had retired, left them like lobsters kicking on the sand when the tide had ebbed.—( Laughter.) Now there is not the slightest truth in this—quite the reverse. It has been stated that the True Sun, most unfortunately for me, came into my hands in the year 1836. Before it came into my hands something like 20,0001. or 30,000/. had been lost by that paper. I flattered and deluded myself by the notion that I could redeem its de clining fortunes, and the result has been that I have added very considerably to the original outlay; so that I should be well pleased to give to Mr. Knox, or any of these gentle men, double the sum, (and I hereby engage to do so) of that which I have received from Mr. Young, for the copy right of this paper, if they will take on themselves the loss I have sustained by its management. These gentlemen would main tain this doctrine. That if, after you have brought the capital of your money and the capital of your mind, and all the aids this great metropolis may supply to a paper, you still find you cannot manage it successfully; that notwith standing you give the ablest and the largest reports, the largest sheet of Paper, the greatest crowd of intelligence you ran put into it, notwithstanding you bring to it the utmost netiaite—whether it arises from a dislike of the politics of the True Sun, or whatever else it may be, you still find the Paper cannot be kept up ; but that it goes on declining until it falls even below the horizon of despair (and the Paper was sold for that reason, and that reason only). These gentlemen still in sist, that's nothing to us—you ought not to care anything about your wife and children —you ought to keep on the Parer, though you might be losing your 30/., or 60/., or 701. a-week —you made an engagement, and to the letter of the bond we will keep you. Gentlemen, that is a matter which you arc to consider, because I maintain there was " pitchable cause"— there was " probable cause" for the cessation of this engage ment, in the very nature of the circumstances by which the Paper was extinguished. Was Ito keep around me a corps of reporters, who might come to me every morning and say, " Where is it you wish me to go, Sir ? Do you wish me to go to Carlisle, or to the House of Common. ?"—(Loud laughter.) Why, no man with the feelings of a gentlema n would wish such a t hi ng. If I had seen Mr. Knox at the time you have heard I waited for him, I should have told him what I have told you to-day—l should have said, "It is impossible to go on with this concern—all our calculations arc blighted, and this paper must cease; it is not a question of policy, even—it is a question of means ; and, therefore, painful as the loss is to myself, and unpleasant as it must be from its disappointment, I wish now to throw myself cn your hands—whatever one man should do towards another, I am ready to do ; but as to carrying on this paper, it is no longer amatter of option with me." But I could not see Mr. Knox-.._1 do not mean to make that a matter of complaint. Though they have examined witnesses to speak to the manner in which this paper was conducted, yet I have not insinuated anything that could impeach the competency of these gentle- Esen ; I have not said anything either to injure their feelings r their future prospects. The paper fell from its own want f resources ; and if I had seen Mr. Knox I should have told im so, and have left it to him to say what, under the circum stances, I ought to do. Gentlemen, it does seem to me, there is something extremely ungenerous, unbecoming, and unjust in Ithis proceeding. Bringing six actions for one and the same thing bespeaks an object which I will not describe, but which you will readily understand. Well, then, Gentlemen, this being the state of the case, now we come to the agreement itself. Though his Lordship has no doubt correctly ruled that in the present state of the pleadings we cannot go into evidence as to the agreement, yet that agreement that has been referred to strongly shows what my views were. You have had evidence from their own witnesses that the practice of the True Sun office was to engage reporters on special terms. It was my object to do the same with respect to these gentlemen. I did not doubt that these gentlemen would perform their duties well ; but yet circumstances might arise in which I might wish to part with them, and not be fettered by such a protracted engagement. But then it is said the paper did rise by their exertions. Quite the reverse ; and I will tell you why. You have had it in evidence that Mr. Knox told me in that interview with Mr. Geary, that he was acquainted with the mode ist which great distances might be performed with singular celerity—that he had brought up the report of the Cumberland election, at which Sir James Graham was a candidate, with wonderful facility ; and that he also reported proceedings in Dublin in a manner that superseded everyhody. I was quite pleased to get a gentleman accustomed to this sort of rail-road machinery. I conjectured an eclipse would come over The Sun—that 1 should he the modern Murphy, and that the True Sun would stand forth pre-eminently brilliant.— (Great laughter.) But it did not even do what the sun did that we read of in Holy Writ—it did not even stand still—it went backwards.--( Laughter.) Among other things, the night the Speaker was chosen I had arrangements made "down the road," as it is termed, by which my paper was to be sen t off at ten o'clock with railroad expedition. The papers were to get down to Birmingham at such an hour; there they were to be handed o ver t o ve hi c l es t h at go at the rate of thirty' miles an hour, to Manchester and Liverpool—and they were to he at Glasgow in one dime-ion, and Edinburgh in another. An this was delightful to me.—( Laughter.) It readily led me to embark rev money in the enterprise. Talk of six gentlemen, at three guineas a-week ! why that was not half the expense. I am almost surprised there was not a Coroner's Inquest.— ( Laughter.) By the advice of Mr. Knox I had three or four horses, with dare-devil chaps on the backs of term, gellopping every ten minutes from the two Houses of Parliament to the True Sun office, and from the Truc Sun office back egain—(Lnughter)—and I would not be surprised if we had been the death of some old woman or young child, and that a Coroner's inquest had been held with a deodand fixed on the True Sun—l wish it bad been fixed on the reporters.—( Renewed laughter.) There were men and boys at the door ; there was a man at the Green Man at Bar net—there was a man at the Birmingham Railway to take the pareels—and, in short, n scheme more perfect in its theory, or more overthroen in its details, was perhaps never brought un der the consideration of a Jury.---( Loud laughter.) What was the result ? lam not imputing blame to these gentlemen ; I believe they went into the affair con ansore, heart and soul —but what was the result ? There was the True Sun an hour behind its usual time—no papers at Birmingham—no papers at Liverpool, and in short the egg on which Mr. Knox and I hrd been sitting with such chicken-like assiduity, became addled, and the whole thing was completely destroyed. From that moment till the 23rd Dec., em could never move the eclipse from the True Sun's surface. It became darker arid darker until the perfect day when it merged into The Seen. —(Laughter. ) Well, then teas there no "probable cause" in all this ? Did I wantonly endeavour to get rid of these gentlemen ? No such thing—the paper got rid of me.—( A laugh.) I could not have kept it on if I would. These are all matters of fact anal equitable consideration, which it is the peculiar province of' a Jury to consider. I know that when I leave the case in your heeds you will give the facts their duo weight. Your verdict will no doubt be moderation compared with their expectations. Why should this case be brought down from London with the array of witnesses that have been examined this day? London was the proper place for it. It appears to me a wanton and a malignant experiment for the purpose of enhancing costs. I will call gentlemen before you who are perfectly disinterested, who are not re porters, who have not combined together for the purpose of keeping up a class interest. And, Gentlemen, though his Lordship has told us, that owing to the state of the plead ings, we cannot go into evidence upon the agreement, yet Consider this :—suppose, for instance, the True Sun office had been burnt down, and all the type melted, and the whole concern dissolved—perhaps in strict law—in the strict jus tice of the law—those iron fangs that never allow a man to escape, except through the agency and mercy of the Jury— It might have been said, " True, you have been b urn t u p, yet everything must be consumed before our claims can pass away, and we are determined to enforce them. But Juries step in—men of moral equity and justice—and they say, so far sh a ll t h e stern t id e o f j ust i ce fl ow , and no farther. You will say, " This defendant has done all he can do—he has bowed with reverence to t h e d ec i s i on o f a Jury, in a case tried by the head o f t h e l aw, and as a J ury gave a verdict of 42/. he has not resisted this contract again." I call upon you to recognize the judgment that has been pronounced, and to maintain its integrity by your own decision. I will not !top here—l will call witnesses to show Mr. Knox has sustained no evil. I will show you that, as regards the Standard, they have one reporter, and no more ; that as far as regards the Courier, they have one or two permanent reporters; and I gill show )00 that as regards the Globe, they have uo reporters et all. I will show you the only remaining paper, The Sun, hod its complete corps of reporters. The other papers move on in their linmedlum way of giving half a column in half an hour. I shall show you that Mr. Knox was not only not capable of being upon The Sun newspaper, but that when he applied he was told that he wea riot wanting. Gentlemen had heard that the Theta :Ind Chronirie, and other leading journals, ray their reporters five guineas vreek (with one or two ex neptions) for their entier services, and yet here is Mr. Knox with four guineas a week for a morning parer, claiming three more fer an evening paper, besides his other literary profits. Gentlemen, I will show you that he never had three guineas in his life, that he had only Ns., and am I now to pay him three guineas a week, while he is, perhaps, walking the Pier at Brighton? If so I shall send him a letter, stating that I am about to s'art, not the Sun, but the Star, and that I shall require his services. Surely I ought to have something out of them, if it was only to take my own speeches in the House of Commons.—( A laugh.) But I shall show you that if these gentlemen had not morning engagements, I could have at once got them employment, for one of them, Mr. Bee wee actually employed since he left me upon The Sun vcwtpaper. Now, Gentlemen, with respect to the do. ration of the session, I confess, like Mr. Platt, I was sur prised to find the Attorney-General, with all the weight and gravity which belonged to his station, fixing the period at the month of August. He stated that it hid frequently gone into September, and in one case to October; and what with the young Queen and a new Parliament, and the number of fresh men, who want a good deal of Parliament—( A laugh ) —if it was only to indulge them, it is likely that it will be carried into September or October.---( Laughter.) With all that evidence and calculation before them, the former Jury thought 42/. quite sufficient. Now, Gentlemen, I shall give you some historical reasons why the Parliament is likely to be up the first week of June, and you can see hereafter how far I am entitled to be called a Murphvite in these matters.----( A laugh.) The co:onation is is well knoen is a matter of great pomp and preparation, and will not be less so on the present occasion, when Parliament will be actually turned inside out. In 1820 when the coronation took place his Majesty slept at the Speaker'!, and everything within a quarter of a mile, including the sanctity and sanc tuary of Westminster Abbey, were devoted to the forwarding of this great object. It appears by the volume I hold in my hand, and your Lordship need not be alarmed for I am not going to quote Hale or any other grave authority—it appears by the Annual Register that the solemnity took place on the 19th July, and that Parliament was prorogued on the 11th. Now, if I am right in my estimate that the coro nation will take place on the 15th of June, Parliament will be prorogued the Sd or 4th or sth. This is not hazarding vague assertion, but I tender it as evidence, and if a Jury, with the statement of the Attorney-General before them, that Parliament would run into August or Sep tember, thought 421. sufficient, surely they were intelligent enough to consider it amply sufficient when its termination was so near at hand. Gentlemen of the Jury, I address these common-place remarks to you, disclaiming all effort at effect, but addressing myself to you as Englishmen of character; and I hardly need remind you on your oaths (because I would leave the matter to any one of you as readily without an oath as with it) to step in and vindicate by your verdict that which has been pronounced by men of equal integrity. I call upon you to throw the shield of your protection and your power over me—an individual who has to contend with an unhecom in.- anxiety to visit him with stern costs and severe verdicts ; and' begging again to caution you against the severe assault which will be, made upon your judgment by the Learned Gen tleman on the other side, but of which I stand in no awe, I shall, after thanking you for the kindness and patience with which you have heard me, proceed to call my witnesses. Mr. John Davis, sub-editor of the True Sun, was then called and examined by Mr. Harvey.—Witness was present when defendant had a conversation with Mr. Geary. Defendant gave Mr. Geary a memorandum which he said contained his views with respect to the agreement, and Mr. Geary under teok either to write or consult with Mr. Knox on the subject. It was his impression that after that had been done, a commu nication would have been made to Mr. Harvey. Witness gave the reporters every facility, by defendant's directions, for car rying their objects into effect. On the first night of the Ses sion arrangements were made to have the Queen's speech given in an early edition. A late edition was to be published at ten o'clock, and arrangements were made down the road as far as Birmingham. Mr. PLATT objected to this lino of examination. The CHIEF JUSTICE—Are you now going to show, Mr. Har vey, that the plaintiff did not conduct himself well? Mr. Harvey—l make no charge of the kind ; but it is stated that they were dismissed without probable cause. The CHIEF JUSTICE—You deny don't anything the plaintiff has said, and the sole question now is—is 421. sufficient com pensation ? Mr. Murdo Young was then examined by Mr. HABIIIT.—I am the proprietor of The Sun Evening Paper, and bare several reporters in my service. It is their duty to attend the gallery of the House of Commons, Courts of Law and Equity, and public meetings in London or in any part of the country; in short, to do whatever I order in the way of bush. rim at any time, and to go wherever I choose to send them. We give reports of proceedings in Parliament up to a late period of the evening. Every evening that Parliament sits we have what is termed a late edi teat it would he impossible for Mr. Knox to attend to the duty. Even with that restricted consent, if his services were required within these hours Mr. Knox must have attended to the .Idrertiser. The fallowing letterc were then put in and read : " True Sun Office, Saturday, Dec. 16. 1937. " Dcar B:r,—l am directed by Mr. Harvey to write word to you th:.t after Saturday next he will not require the services either of yourself or of your corps of reporters, but will consider the engagement with you as terminated. He further told me to say, that he waited here in expectation of seeing you, that he might tell you this personally, but as he was unable to remain any longer he desired me to give you this in. formation in writing. " Yours truly, "JOHN DAVIS." " Monday, Dec. 18, 1837. " Dear Sir,--I have received your note of Saturday evening in which you state, lam directed by Mr. Harvey to write word to you, that after Saturday next he will net require the services of yourself or of your corps of reporters.' " I must confess that I am not a little astonished at this, aware as I am that Mr. Harvey knows perfectly well that at his instance I eng - i,ged the gentlemen referred to for the entire Session, according to the inra. riahle practice of the press, " You will, therefore, be good enough to inform Mr. Harvey, that I shall neither take nor gave the intimation he has directed you t• convey to me. " I am, dear Sir, faithfully yours, " J. Davis, Esq. " ROBERT KNOX." " Dec. 28, 1837. " Sir,—l beg to inform you that your corps of reporters engaged by me, met yesterday, according to your desire, and it was the opinion of them all, that the Session of Parliament will not be over before the middle of August, in other words, that it will last for thirty three weeks. It is possible that you may be under the impression that it will be over sooner, and as the corps have no wish to require anything unfair or unjust, they would be glad if you would favour them with your idea of its probable duration, as otherwise they cannot inform you of the exact amount which you will have to pay them. " ROBERT KNOX. " D. W. Harvey, Esq." " Weekly True Sun Office, Dec. '29, 1837. " Sir,—As I tan only answer your letter in the spirit of the under standing that preceded my cpnrcrsation with yourself, Mr. Geary, Mr. Byrne, and Mr. Griffin, on Saturday last, viz., that it should be without prejudice to either party, I am compelled, in the absence of this usual assurance, to defer my answer. " That your time and my own may be saved, I would now observe that Mr. Young has intimated a disposition to strengthen his corps of reporters, by availing himself of the services of the gentlemen who were on the True Sun, and has requested me to inform him whether it be cor rect that either or all of them had any other engagement. With the exception of yourself, I can give to Mr. Young no precise answer. I shall of course regard your reply without prejudice, as being the only footing upon which any correspondence or conversation can be held. " I am, Sir, your's obediently, " Robert Knox, Esq." "D. W. HARVEY." "Jan. 2, 1838. " Sir,—The reporters of the True Sun have had a meeting this morn ing, in reference to your communication of the 29th December, and they have authori,ed me to say, that under all circumstances, and in order that your time and theirs may be saved, it would be more advise_ able and more likely to lead to a satisfactory result, if you would direct your solicitor to appoint an interview with Mr. Dean, solicitor, No. 13, Gray's Inn.square, who is aware of all the circumstances, and will act tar them. The matters will thus be easily understood and arranged. " I am, Sir, your obedient servant, " D. W. Harvey, Esq., M.P. " ROBERT LNOX." "Strand, Jan. i, 1838. " Sir,—As I feel assured the words subsequent to our conversation on Saturday last,' are not intended to exclude an understanding, recog nised by all the gentlemen present, so I do not delay my reply until this point is explained. Not, indeed, that my answer to your inquiry can be of any value, not having the slightest knowledge of expected events to guide my judgment ; but to speak oil haad, I should be much less surprised if the House were ' up' in the month of May or earlier, than to find it sitting in the middle of July. As a sporting bet, I should be ready to give 51. for every day after the let of August, for 31. each day short of that period. " I am, Sir, your obedient servant, " R. Knox, Esq. " D. W. HARVEY." The following letter was then written in reply to one addressed by Mr. Dean, plaintiff's solicitor, to defendant : " Strand, 3d Jan., 1838. " Sir—lf I considered the question between Hr. Francis and the other gentlemen who were on the True Swe as reporters, and myself, as one of law, I should most readily give you the names of my solicitors, and equally se abide the result of your deliberations. But viewing, as I do, the question between us as one of feeling and gentlemanly considers. tien, such as occasionally arises and to be dealt with as between one man and another, each scorning exaction, I cannot comply with your request. At the same time, lam quite willing to leave the question to any two respectable persons connected with the press, such as Mr. An derson of the Morning Advertiser, Mr. Easthope of the Chronicle, or Mr. Baldwin of the Standard; ray wish is to do what is just, and no less, and I will resist to the uttermost what does not appear to iine to be honest and equitable.-1 am, Sir, your obedient servant, "D. W. HARVEY." " Gray's Inn, Jan. 6, 1838. " Sir,—As you do not consider the question between you and the gentlemen who instruct me, to be one of law, I am requested to inquire of you what question you propose to leave to the consideration of refe rees, and whether you will consent to Mr. Walter Henry Watts (the cc porter) being named as a referee with either of the gentlemen you have named; also, whether you will be ready to enter into the usual arbitra tion bond or agreement.—l am, &c. " T. DEAN." " No. 366, Strand, Tan. 8, 1838. " Sir,—Though I have not the pleasure of knowing Mr. Watts, yet inquiry informs me that I can hare no objection to converse with him, without prejudice, on behalf of the gentlemen at whose instance you have written to me. My impression is, that we should in a few minutes settle the matter either in conscience or for Court. I shall be happy to see Mr. Watts any time convenient to himself. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, " D. W. HARVEY... tion. We publish the proceedings in both Houses of Parliament up to the latest moment the post leaves. I frequently send papers after the ails, and sometimes before them.—(Laughter.) I give reports up to he close of both Houses, when an occasion of importance warrants it. It is not competent for a person to perform the duties of reporter for a Morning and Evening Paper effectually. Mr. Knox was on my establish tent last Session. There are three Evening Papers beside ay own. There is one, I believe, now called the Shipping Gazette—it is both an Evening and Morning Paper—it's a nondescript.—(Laughter.) I be )ieve the other Evening Papers do not employ more than one reporter. No Evening Paper professes to give late reports of the proceedings in arliament in the manner of The Son—they could not do it. Mr. Knox applied to me at the commencement of the present Session, and I told him my arrangements were made. Mr. Knox, when in my employment, received 30s. a week. When he applied to me at the commencement of the present Session, it was understood he offered his services at the same salary. By Mr. PLarr.—He did not mention the salary. Ey Mr. Heaver.—l did not want him—l told him my arrangements were made. Had I wanted him and employed him, I should not have given him a larger salary, because he would not have had to remain longer at the House than half-past six or a quarter to seven o'clock in the evening. If I had wanted a reporter, I might or might Mr. PLAIT then replied—He quite concurred in the sentime nt with not have engaged Mr. Knox ; but I would not have paid him which the Hon. Member for Southwork began his address. He trusted more than three guineas a-week. Probably I might have paid hint the day would never arrive when any Englishman would have to make three guineas a-week ; but that would only have been on the u nd er _ an apology for either advocating or defending his own cause. The de s standing, that he should do the same duties as the ether Reporters. fendant had a right to do so, and if he was so fortunate as to possess the 1 have purchased the copyright of the True Sun. When I was nego_ talent which had been exhilaited that day, he was riot sure that the old elating for it, the defendant told me what he would part with it tor. adage, that " a man who was his own counsel had a fool for his client" What did he state to you ? would apply to him the defendant. The defendant was not the inex- Mr. Ptsrr—l don't know whether we are to have the whole of this conversation with Mr. Harvey ? p erienced person he had represented himself to be. H e had been a member of another branch of their profession, and he believed had con- Chief Justice Trines—l suppose you were going to ask him whether ducted himself with great astuteness, and was well known at that lime it was going on prosperously or not ? as being a very clever person ; therefore the Jury were not to take for Mr. Ha avev_The two papers were considered rival papers, my Lord, granted that he had no experience in Courts of Justice, which might Witness—l did not consider the Ten, Son much of a rival.—(Laugh_ assist him in his address, or that he was without a knowledge of these ter.) By Mr. Harvey— I usderstood the True g" was not in a very matters. The Hon. Gentleman had brought him rather more prorni flattering condition, and I was not sorry for it. In a conversation I nently forward than he had wished ; but as his name had been men had with Mr. Harvey, %shun neguciating for the True Sun, Mr. Harvey tinned, it was but fair they should understand how it happened that Mr. turd me the Reporters were subject to a fortnight's notice. Platt might be at Guildhall an advocate for Mr. Harvey one day, and at ?4r. Pharr—The witness must not state the conversation. Kingston an advocate against him on another day. Every gentleman Chief Justice TINDAL—It cannot alter the fact, because in this decla. at the bar had a public duty to perform, and whoever brought a ration you admit the contract with the pl.,intiff was for the Session, brief to counsel, whether the man was rich or poor, could demand the Witness continued—The defendant has no interest in The Sun services of that counsel. If it were not so, and if they could select newspaper. lam of opinion the present session will not last to the their clients, the bar would be a common nuisance to society, and they end of June. I have made inquiries on that subject on my own account, would all deserve to be sent out of the country. It was true he did aP and that is my opinion. I have lately put on my estab l ishment addis pear at Guildhall for Mr. Harvey. It was his duty then to endeavour to tional hands. That arose from supplying the readers of The Sun with a persuade the jury there was no contract e s tablished as that contended new class of intelligence—reports of proceedings before Election Cools for. The contract on that occasion was denied, and it was his duty then mittees. I have a gentleman now on my establishment, who was to put every difficulty in the way of establishing it. But hew did that lately on the True Sun. A person engaged en a morning paper would touch the present case ? A contract was stated on the record, and the certainly not be in a condition to perform effectually the various duties defen.lant made no denial of the contract. The same question did not that I require from my reporters. Having heard the evidence given arise in the present case, and yet Mr. Harvey expected the same verdict as to compensation and so on, I consider that, under the circumstances, would be given by them that the jury at Guildhall gave. It might be the 421. which Mr. Harvey has paid into Court is m ore than enoug h . supposed that he, by having been the Counsel of the defendant, was Cress-examined by Mr. Platt.—witness is in the habit of engaging possessed of some of his secrets, and that these secrets would be of ad reporters by the year, and also conditionally. When taken on at the vantage to the present plaintiff. No one who knew him would believe beeinning of the Session it is generally understood to be for the Ses. for one moment that anything which came to him from a private inter.. shin. The last Session terminated about the middle of August. At its view with the opposite party would And its way into the cause for the close he had six, seven, or eight reporters in his employment. One „f benefit of that party's adversary. The case was tried at Guildhall in them, Mr. Knox, was connected with a Morning Paper. Three o th ers public—the c on t rovers y was well known between the two Parties , and :ii of his reporters were engaged for a short time on the Conetitutional every thing that could be adduced which bore on the question was d morning paper, having obtained his special permission for that purpose, brought publicly before the Jury. The defendant had been very forte_., They were connected with the Constitutional for two months or perhaps nate in having something like a grievance to lay before them, and he , ten weeks. His corps now consisted of nine Parliamentary reporters, had made the most of it. Instead of employing any of his Learned Only one of these now reported for a morning paper. He had given Friends around him, he preferred having a grievance to lay before the 2,5001. for the True Son. The ncgociation for the purchase was co ,. Jury, of having employed him (Mr. Platt) on one occasion, and being minced about the 10th or 13th of December. Mr. Harvey had spoken deprived of his services en another. He (Mr. Platt) would, however, to him two years previously, and wanted him to purchase it. Witness rely on their good sense and discrimination, and cast away all the dust had offered about 9001 or 1,0001., but Mr. Harvey wanted a very large and rubbish of the case, and come at once to that which was the real sum, I found it had a circulation of 500 more than I supposed, and I question between the parties. The Hon. Member had stated that after thought these 500 worth the difference. Might have given Mr. Knox the dispute arose, and after Mr. Knox had been dismissed, he had offered the e guineas a week. to refer the whole of the matter, and that the return to that offer was a Mr. HARVEY—WouId you have given him more than three guineas a service of six writs. They had heard the correspondence, and to be sure week ? Witness—Certainly not. there was never anything more artful than the mode in which the Hon. By Mr. fleessze— Mr. O'Keelle was on his establishment when be Member had slipped out of every direct proposition. The Learned went to the Chronicle. He was very happy to allow Mr. O'Keeffb to Counsel then read Mr. Knox's letter of December t2B, which he benefit himself by going to that raper, and it was with the understand- contended plainly proceeded on tile notion that the only question be.. ing that his engagement with The Sun would terminate at Easter. It tween them was the probable duration of Parliament during which their was expected that the business o f th e S ess i on up to Christmas would b e services would have been required. He did not know in what light the unimportant, and witness made arrangements with one or two gentle_ Jury would view this correspondence, but Mr. Harvey in one of his men, under that view of the case. Witness thought 4•21. ample coin pay ample under the circum. letters had talked about gentlemanlike feeling. What was the case pensation. He would think a month', Sir. Harvey had sold the paper; when he had no further occasion for stances in which the Paper was placed. the assistance of those gentlemen. Why did he not convene them Mr. Anderson, Editor of the Morning Advertiser.—Witness had together and say, " I find this to be a losing concern ; I cannot go on Parliamentary and other Reporters on his establishment. They were with it ; what arrangement shall we make ?" Would not that have under his direction and management. Mr. Knox, the plaintiff', was one been fair—would not that have been gentlemanlike ? But instead of of the Parliamentary Reporters. His duties were the same as others, doing that, a letter was written by Mr. Davis, on the 16th of December, ntmely, to be at the call of the Editor, to attend in Parli ament, and i n th e t er ms they had heard. Was that the mode in which gentlemen at public meetings, t o go j ourne y s i nto the country, expressing re. ought toconduct themselves in the affairs of public life ? Mr. Harvey, in ports from thence, and attending important Coroner's Inquests, stead of convening them together, and explaining why it was that their &c. Ho was not so well acquainted with Evening as with Morn., services,atter a certain time, would not be wanted, wrote that peremptory ing Papers ; but he supposed the Re p orter of an Evening letter by which six or seven gentlemen were to be dismissed, and to paps was equally under the controul of h i s principal' lie should cer- lose half their income, on which they had relied to maintain themselves tainly say, that it was not compatible or practicable for one man to die. and their families to the end of the Session of Parliament. That was charge the duties of both papers. U Mr. Knox's services were required not the way Mr. Harvey ought to have conducted himself, and he did between fur and halepast six, he should have rendered them, and if not think Mr. Harvey was entitled to take great credit to himself for the not, it would have been a vitiation of his engagement. lie had made no course he had pursued on this part of the case. The Learned Counsel objection to Mr. Knox being on the True Sun, as he was bound to per. then read the letter of the 29th December, 1837, from Mr. Harvey to form his duties to the journal w'tness had the direction of. Witness Mr. Knox, from which he said it was clear Mr. Harvey did not heard of the engagement after Mr. Knox had made it, at the same time adopt that fair and candid course which one gentleman ought to Mr. Knox made no secret of it. Mr. Geary had applied on several ocs pursue towards another. Did it appear that Mr.Harv,ey had mentioned casions to get employ men t nn the Advertiser, and to the best of his recol.. to Mr. Young those gentlemen whom he had dismisied wanted a eitua_ lection he h a d appli e d b e f or e the commencement of the session. Since tion ? They had had a conversation detailed to them that had taken the commencem en t of th e session Mr. Geary had nude application to place between Mr. Harvey and Mr. Young, in which it; appeared Mr. him by totter. Witness had the letter at Guildhall ready to produce, Young stated to Mr. Harvey it was likely he would Met - en:se the number but was nut aware of it s beari ng on the present case. The letter hail of his reporters. Even at that time Mr. Harvey might harve befriended been destroyed among many oth er papers. He had not expected to these gentlemen; but it did not appear that he so much as mentioned have heard of anoth er trial after the first had terminated. In his the name of Mr. Knox. Then upon the 2d of Jetlinrs' there was o:n instance witness wo u ld consider 4'21. a fair remuneration, and a letter from Mr. Knox to Mr. Harvey. [The Learned Cou nse l rea d 'Quid take even less rath er t h an come into Court, or bring another ' the letter.] Could anything b e more fair ? The proposition was, that person there. the two solicitors, each being aware of all the facts of the e ass, should Cross-examined by Mr. Phew—Witness had revived strong rn reco- *erne to some compromise. Inste ad of that what cla the gentleman rnendations from Mr. Knox an d ot h ers respecting Mr. Geary.He had who offered a reference, and who was served with sit twits, do just fifteen or sixteen applications on his list. It was difticult fora Person not when the plaintiff was bringing him to a point ? Why, b • wrote the a good reporter to get employm e nt. H e would venture to say that net letter of the sth of January , 1838. [The Learned Casuist I read the more than one-fourth of those in hi s li st of applications were porters. In consequence of the pr a i se w i tness had bestowed 0 0 0 n d m r et: they e r were d t e a 1 1 k s o t n t g h o a s b e o o u f t t t h h e e 3 0 d n a : o d I. 6 e t h r e o te f r J e a n e c u e a , r a y :, d l S w 3 h B e . n ] ~ Np party, t w t y , w g h ,v e hen Knox, Mr. Young said, " With your permission, I shall give Line employ.the names of persons as referees to whom he would be synth. 'g to refer meut on The Sun." Witness did not make th e engagement. the matter in dispute, the nsual course was for the adversary to do tie By Mr. D. W. flenvEY—lf Mr. Young had wanton to engage him same thing—for eneh to have an arbitrator, and fur each to ha vs the longer than from four to half-past six o'clock witness would have said choice of nominating a third party. Accordingly when the pr •oposit,D. ' was " No. 13, Gray's Inn, Jan. 10, 1538. " Sir,—Your letter of the Bth instant contains no answer to amine of the 6th; and as our correspondence hitherto has led to no other result than that of loss of time, I have been obliged to act upon the instruc tions which I have received, by issuing process at the suit of Mr. Knox, Mr. Geary, and Mr. Barrow, this being nearly the last day, to enable them to go to trial at the sittings after Term, in case they should have to submit their case to a Jury. I shall be obliged by your allowing the bearer to serve the copies of the writs on you, as you have declined giving me the name of your attorney. " I beg to add, that this proceeding will not, on the part of the gentle men who instruct me, preclude any negotiation for a reference on proper tenne.--I am, &c. " T. DEAN." made to refer the matter, Mr. Dean very properly named two gentle men, and said to Mr. Harvey, "As you do not consider the question tobe one of law, what question do you propose to leave to the consideration of referees!" Could anything be more fair? Instead of following up that suegestion the parties, after negociating and corresponding for such a lentil of time, and to no purpose, Mr. Dean being wiling to come to terms, and Mr. Harvey endeavouring as much as possible to escape, and wishing to see the referee named by the plaintiff "without prejuilice"—without prejudice: Could anything exhibit a greater desire to creep out of an arrangement than this ? Another letter was written by Mr. Harvey on the Bth of January, to the following effect. [Here Mr. Platt read the letter.] It was quite plain from that that Mr. Harvey was playing with Mr. Dean, and was endeavouring to carry on a corre spondence until the tine for suing out the writ would have passed. Perhaps, if he had carried it oh for two or three more letters the period would have elapsed which would have enabled the parties to try the cause at the sittings after last Term. He had now called their attention to that part of Mr. Harvey's address which had related to his affected willingness to refer the matter. Mr. Harvey had complained of another evil which he suffered. He said he understood that gentlemen round that table had a sort of rule in their professional craft, as he was pleased to designate it, which forbade them to examine witnesses, and to allow a client to address a Jury. If there was not that rule, he (Mr. Platt) would never submit to be led by a layman. He had spent the greater part of his life in the profession, and he considered it would disgrace his gown if he could be hired to ex amine witnesses while the party could address the Jury. But there was a higher authority for that opinion which ought to have been explained by Mr. Harvey. Mr. Baron Alderson had said it was a most improper mode of proceeding. In criminal cases assistance might be given in matters of law, but in a civil case that mode of proceeding was not to be t olerated. It was too much for Mr. Harvey to complain of that, when a Judge upon the bench had given such an opinion. Mr. Harvey had brought it upon himself, merely that he might commit irregularities in his speech, and draw the attention of the Jury from the injury his client had sustained, to the injury he had sustained in that manlier. Mr. Hare vey hsd said he trusted to the native sense of justice of the Jury. He (Mr. Platt) trusted to the same, and also to their knowledge of man kind, No doubt they would think Mr. Harvey deserving that the shield of their protection should be thrown around him, but then the first duty of a gentleman was to pay his just demands. In the month of October, Mr. Knox being then on the Advertiser, was induced to form one of Mr. Harvey's corps of reporters. It was admitted on the p!eadings he was to be paid three guineas weekly, and that his engagement was Ses. sioral, and he had therefore a right to look forward to its continuance Until the prcbable termination of the Session. He entered upon his duties with talent, assiduity, and industry, and rendered himself obnoxious to his subordinates by the mode in which he coin. pelled them to perform their duties; and on the 18th of December, without the slightest previous intimation, he received that peremptory letter, by which he was dismissed on the 23d. The Jury would observe, it was impossible for the plaintiff to get an engagement during the re mainder of the Session. The defendant had not produced a witness to show that, while he (Mr. Platt) had produced a dozen to show the cnotrary. Mr. Harvey had produced proprietors, editors, and sub-editors, but not one of them had ventured to state that his client had got an engagement after the commencement of the Session. Was it not clear from that that he had lost the profit •f the whole Session ? He (Mr. Platt) had called gentlemen of great experience connected with the most respectable prints, who he hoped were above the imputation which Mr. llarvey appeared in some measure to have cast upon them, when he said that for anything he knew they might be chin.deep in perjury. He trusted that gentlemen •f their description—men of literary acquirements, and of great talent, would not have come there and committed gratuitous perjury In such a case; and yet, if they had not done so, was it not true that Mr. Knox had net received any thing like sufficient compensation ? If they took the termination of the Session, even at the Bth •f June, at which Mr. Harvey had fixed it, that would give 168 days—which, at 31. 3s. a week, would be 751. 12s. Of that only 421. had been paid; but if they took the period down to the month of August, then the sum would be nearer 601. beyond the 421., and that was the meaning of the evidence given by Mr. Dickens. They would also recollect that since the passing of the Reform Bill, which Mr. Har vey had said was anything but a reform, because people had talked more nonsense than before, and to less purpose—by carrying their memories back, they would fled that no Parliament had terminated before the month of August. Whether that arose from the love of talking, or from gentlemen coming from the country who were anxious to have plenty of Parliamenb--(Laughter)—he (Mr. Platt) could not take upon himself to say. There was another part of the case on which Mr. Harvey mainly rolied, and it seemed to him to gi►e the death-blow to the defendant's own case. He had said that he would show there were only four evening prints, and that they were all full. Why, that was what he (Mr. P.) had been saying from the beginning, and if he had known that such would have been their evidence, he was not sure that he would not have called those witnesses himself. In furtherance of the attempt of this modern Murphy to make out his case (and he hoped that he would be more right in seine of his predictions than Mr. Murphy, for the greatest philoso. phers sometimes erred, as well as the greatest advocates of their own cause) Mr. Harvey had read a portion of his (Mr. Platt's) speech at the trial at Guildhall. He stated that he (Mr. Platt) had designated the witnesses as persons having an object to attain—that they were of a class possessing a class interest—that they were all reporters, inter. eaten in supporting the rights of reporters. He (Mr. Platt) would hies, to know where they could get information about the duties of reporters unless it was from these gentlemen. On the other hand, Mr. Harvey had called witnesses who were of a class, and possess ing a class interest, for he had called none but editors, sub editors, and proprietors of newspapers. Mr. Young had told then t h a t he thought a month's pay would be very handsome ; but Mr. Harvey had tali them that he thought they were entitled to 42/. They had it also in evidence from Mr. Young that the paper had been raised by the exertions of these gentlemen to the value of 2,600/., when he would only have given 1,0001. before for it. Mr. Harvey, by using that thumb-screw—by getting up those first-rate reports—inflicting as much injury as he possibly could on the rival paper, at last induced Mr. Young to do what he had refused to do two years before, namely, to buy the paper. Now, notwithstanding Mr. Harvey had reaped all the liar. vest from the seed those gentlemen had sown, he did not appear to think "the labourer was worthy of his hire," and he had endeavoured to de prive them of the just payment of their services. He was sure the Jury would think that, tinder all the eircumstances, 42/. could not by any means compensate Mr. Knox for the toes he had sustained. The Learned JUDGE then summed up, and pointed out to the atten tion of the Jury, the several facts which bore upon the question before them. He observed that it would have been better if the action had been postponed until the termination of the Session, when they would have certain data to proceed upon. The Jury would bear in mind that •ircumstances might from the changes in pasties occasion a dissolution of Parliament or a breaking up or the Ministry, or the plaintiff might tile andnot be able to fulfil his engagement ; they would also recollect that a sum of money paid in a lump was of more value than spreading it over a long period of time, and that besides the plaintiff had all the time upon his hands to turn it to the best accounihe could. The Jury, after conferring together for some time, retired fbr about twenty minutes, and returned with a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages Ten Guineas. ELECTION COMMITTEES. (YESTERDAY.) (From our Second Edition of last night.) HULL. The Committee, after deliberating for about twenty mi nutes, struck off the vote, on the ground that it was bribery by treating. Mr. HILL then proposed to take several names together, as they were precisely in the situation of the last voter; it would be a great saving- of time, as one examination would suffice in a great number of cases. Mr. HILDTARD protested against such course, as being against all precedent. The Chairman said that the application of Mr. Hill, not having been assented to by the other side, the Committee did not feel called upon to interfere, so as to allow Mr. Hill to take a number together. They felt very strongly that this line of proceeding would cause a great delay of time, and they therefore desired Counsel to make their speeches as short as possible. William Whalley was then objected to; but, after the re examination of one witness, the objection was withdrawn.— Vote good. Thomas Todd was next objected to. It appeared that he had been employed as clerk at the Committee-room, and that, on the morning of the election, he breakfasted at the Shakspeare. Mr. HILDYARD submitted that this was merely necessary re freshment. and not such treating as was contemplated by the act.—Vote retained. Bartholomew Ellerby was next objected to, but the Com mittee thought the evidence too slight, and retained the vote. .John Tasker was then objected to. It appeared from the examination of Mr. Alburen, the landlord of the Shakspeare, and Mrs. Douse, his daughter-in-law, that on the morning of the election, Tasker went to them to borrow 55.. saying Mr. Moxon had sent him. Mrs. Douse asked Mr. Moxon if she was to give the man ss. He said yes. I was to lend him it —it was not right for him (Mr. Moxon) to do it. The money was then paid to the voter, and charged to the Committee. Struck off. Mr. HILL then applied to the Committee to adjourn, ex pressing his hope that the resolution come to on Saturday:, to continue the sittings from ten until half-past five, would not be enforced_ The Counsel on the other side concured in the application. The room was cleared, and the Committee decided that they would meet each day at ten o'clock, and adjourn at four. On Friday night an inquest was held before Mr. Payne, the City Coroner, at the Anchor and Hope public house, in Lower Thames street, on the mangled remains of a young man, named Richard Stamford, who was killed by being drawn into the machinery of the Y or h s hi remen steam packet, - on her passage from Hull to London. It appeared in evidence that the deceased was a passenger, and was coming up to London previous to seeking employment on the Great Western Railway. During the voyage on Friday afternoon he was upon deck with other passengers, and made aeYeral at tempts to get into the engine -room, but was repulsed by the engineer and stokers, who requested him to keep on deck. Soon afterwards he placed his legs over the opening lead ing into the engine-room, and h e was severa l t i mes i n great danger of being injured by the machinery. He was repeatedly cautioned by two other passengers, named Powell and Reams, not to persist in his conduct, but in spite of their warnings he actually attempted to descend into the engine -room for the purpose of warming himself among the machinery while the wheels were going round at the rate of 25 revolutions per minute. He got upon the iron bar or stay, which is placed between the two engines; and in stooping to descend lower the tail of hi; coat was caught in the cogwheel, and in an instant he was drawn among the machinery, and his body was reduced to atoms. The engineer was called to, who stopped tho engines immediately, and the mangled remains of the rash and unfortunate man were collected from various parts of the engine-room and placed in a case. The accident occurred off the Hazeborough Light, about two o'clock, p.m. on Friday. The Coroner said it was impossible to identify the mangled remains of the deceased. A more horrible and heart-sicken ing spectacle he had never witnessed. That the deceased came to his untimely end by his cwn imprudence there could be no doubt, but on the whole he thought it would be as well to postpone the inquest until the relatives of the unfor tunate man were communicated with. The Jury acceded to the Coroner's suggestion, and adjourned the inquiry until Tues day next. There is now in the possession of Mr. Thomas Las cridge, of Lilly Hall, near Ledbury, a very extraordinary bed. stead, of ancient make, being nearly 400 years old, and having been in the possession of the owner and his family for that very long period. The massive parts are beautifully carved ; the excellent preservation of the bedstead reflects the highest credit on the family to whom it has so long belonged. —Hereford Times. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS, APRIL 2. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at Fire Minutes past Five o'clock. Lord BANDON presented a petition from a parish in the County of Cork, praying for a measure for the better regula tion of tithes in Ireland. Also two petitions from places in Ireland against any system of national education not founded on the Scriptures. The Bishop of ELY presented a petition from Tyncmouth against pluralities in the Church. Lord FOLEY presented a petition for the reduction of postage. NEGRO EMANCIPATION. _ Lord STANHOPE presented petitions from West Bir mingham ; a congregation of religi,us persons assembling in St. James'-street, Bradford ; Heaton, in Yorkshire; Clayton, in the parish of Bradford ; the Wesleyan Chapel at Windbill, near Bradford ; Ilalifax, in York shire ; the Baptists' Chapel in Shiley, near Brad ford; Keighley, near Bradford ; Kings-lynn ; Nettleton, near Leeds and several other places, praying for the imme diate abolition of negro apprenticehip. The Noble Lord said he would only observe that it appeared to him, that much of the embarrassment.attending his questio❑ arose from the Act of 1833, which he considered an ill-advised, and digested Act. POOR LAW AMENDMENT ACT. Lord STANHOPE presented several petitions praying for the immediate alteration of the New Poor Law Amendment Act. One was from Bradford iu Yorkshire, and signed, amongst others, by the late Mayor. It expressed the opinion of the petitioners to be, that unless the Act was altered or repealed, it would drive the people to anarchy and rebellion. Another was from Halifax, in the County of York, which stated that carrying the Act into operation would be attended with consequences which the petitioners would regret to witness. The others were from other places, the names of which were not heard in the gallery, and in s'rnilar terms. The Marquis of SLIGO had received a letter this morn ing from the Noble and Learned Lord (Brougham), who had taken so prominent a part in the discussion upon the abolition of the system of negro apprenticeship. The letter expressed great anger against certain false statements which had appeared in the newspapers, and in the C'ourier amongst others. The Noble and Learned Lord requested him (the Marquis of Sligo), to contradict those statements in his place in the House. But as he (the Marquis of Sligo) was not acquainted with the matter himself, he could do nothing better than to read an extract from the letter. The extract stated " that Lord Brougham had never taken any part in promoting the apprenticeship scheme, but agreeing to it as did every one in the Cabinet. He (Lord Brougham) had held then, as he had always held, that some transition was necessary, and the Ministry were at sea about the matter, as well as about the compensation." Now with respect to compensation, he ( Lord S.) did not agree with the Noble Lord.—( A laugh.) As the Noble Secretary-at-War was concerned in the matter of Lord Brougham's complaint, he (Lord Stanhope) had written to him, and he received from him a reply, to the effect that "he (Lord Howick) had lost no time , in answering the communication. He had not seen the article the Courier, but he could only say as to what he had stated in the House of Commons, he did not see that it was at all contradicted by the letter of Lord Brougham. He (Lord Howick) had not spoken of a division in the Cabinet upon the ques tion of apprenticeship.—( Hear, hear, hear.) He was not in the Cabinet at the time, and, if he had been, lie would not be at liberty to mention what occurred in it. What he stated was, that he himself was opposed to the emancipation scheme, and that Lord Brougham was ad verse to him on that question. Such, in substance, was the statement that he made in the House of Commons in support of his own argument, that persons who now advo cated the abolition of the system were parties to establishing it." Having read these two extracts, he ( Lord S.) did not think that he was called upon to trouble their Lordships with any further observations. The Earl of RIPON, who was very imperfectly heard, was understood to say, that what had been reported as having been said by his Noble Friend in the other House of Parlia ment was inconsistent with the facts. Lord GREY, who was also very imperfectly heard, or ra ther quite inaudible at first, was understood, when we could catch a word of what he said, that he felt the inconvenience of introducing discussions of a personal nature in the absence of the persons to whom they related.—(Hear.) He was not aware that his Noble and Learned Friend, who was then not present, had been more closely pressed upon the subject than any one else. For himself, he (Lord Grey) must say that he was eager for the total abolition of slavery, and he thought that the time had arrived when it should be abolished ; but he was anxious also that it should be accompanied by some measure to prepare the negroes for that state of freedom which he and his colleagues were agreed in thinking they ought to possess, and he had therefore done every thing in his power to promote the measure when it was be fore the House.—( Hear.) A Noble Lord opposite had said that all the inconveniences at present existing in con nection with this subject were owing to the defects of the Emancipation Bill itself. So that he could only say, that every care had been taken in its construction, and he was not aware of the errors and imperfections which were spoken of.—( Cries of " Hear, hear.") He felt, in deed, that there were very great causes of complaint, as to the conduct of the Legislative Assembly, and in performing a Ministerial duty as a Peer of Parliament—that is in presenting the petitions intrusted to him for immediate abolition—he felt bound to say, that although all the measures had not been taken for the benefit of the slaves which the Imperial Parlia ment had a right to expect, yet he concurred in the view taken by the Noble Duke opposite ( Wellington), that they ought to proceed to immediate abolition.—( Hear, hear.) Certainly he (Earl Grey) yielded to no one to put an end to the desperate systera of human slavery.—( Hear, hear.) And he felt great satisfaction that he was in that Ministry which put an end to the slave-trade, and he felt also great satis faction that he was in that Administration by which slavery itself was abolished. The intermediate state of apprentice ship was intended to fit them for freedom, and whilst he regretted that no step had been taken by the Colonial As sembly to forward the views of Parliament, yet he thought it much more to the advantage of the negroes to take measures to ameliorate their present condition, and to enforce those steps which were neeesscry to prepare them for a state of full freedom than to proceed at once to total abolition, which might be attended with fearful consequences.—( Hear.) The Noble Earl then presented petitions from Stockton-upon- Tees, Newcastle, and a variety of other places, in favour of the abolition of the system of Negro apprenticeship. The Earl of RIPON postponed his motion relative to the expense of the Malta Commission until to-morrow; and gave notice that he should on Friday next move for certain accounts connected with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners of Ireland. The Marquis of SLIGO presented a great number of peti tions, for the abolition of the system of Negro Apprentice ship, from congregations in Manchester, Bury, Ecclesford, and other places. _ . The Earl of ALBEMARLE presented several petitions from different places in the county of Bedford ; also a petition in favour of Mr. Rowland Hill's plan for Post-office Reform. Petitions for the abolition of the system of Negro appren ticeship were presented by the Bishops of EXETER and RIPON. On the motion of the Earl of SHAFTESBURY, the Mutiny Bill and the Marine Mutiny Bill were read a third time, and the other Bills on the table were forwarded a stage. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition from Dunfermline, against any further grants to the Church of Scotland. He regretted that the Noble Lord who presented a petition from Dr. Pye Smith on Friday, on the subject of slavery, was riot in his place, as he wished to correct a mis take into which he had fallen. The Noble Lord's statement was quite incorrect, and he must have been misinformed on the subject. Lord WICKLOW said, in pursuance of the notice he had given a few nights ago, he should have the gratification in bringing the subject he was about to introduce before the [louse of being very concise, because, although it was a case of great hardship against an individual, it might be disposed of in a few sentences.—( Hear, hear. ) The individual who had requested him to bring his case before the House was known to many of their Lordships by name, and personally to those who attended the Committee on Irish Education last year. Ho was then examined before that Committee, and whatever difference of opinion there might have been with regard to the prudence or the policy of the system he was carrying on, could not entertain a doubt of the honesty and zeal of the individual. He had, at considerable expense to himself, established himself on the west coast of Ireland, where he had found the people in the greatest ignorance, and where he had-ex erted himself to instruct them in civil and religious knowledge. Being a Roman Catholic district, he had to en counter many difficulties, yet he had continued to prosecute his great objects. For the purpose of facilitating his objects, and to enable him to go on, he became the editor of a news paper. That newspaper consisted, in a great measure, of religious opinions, but it had, in other respects, the cha racter of a newspaper. It contained, as did other newspapers in London which he had seen, extracts from the Education Committee ; it contained Parliamentary debates ; it pub lished a list of births, deaths, and marriages ; and was, in point of fact, like any other Newsp a p er .—( H ear. ) The paper had been in circulation for the l as t e i g h t mont h s. When he first commenced editing the paper he thought it his duty to communicate with the Stamp Office ; he received from them a statement of the course which h e oug h t to pursue ; he was told by the authorities of the Stamp Office, that unless he applied for stamped paper, and had his Journal properly registered, he would subject himself to penalties. He did so, and from that moment he thought his Paper as fully established as a Newspaper es any other. Thi s went oil for several months, but to his astonishment he received, on the 12th of March, a letter, stating that, as the Achill Herald was not re cognised as a newspape r ent i t l e d to free transm i ss i on by post, it could not be legally forwarded by the Post office, and orders would therefore be issued for the publication to be charged the full rate of postage until the decision of the Postmaster-General was known. A letter was written to Dr. Nangle by Mr. Godby, the Secretary of the Post-office in Ireland. Mr. Godby did not state on what authority he wrote that letter. He did not say whether he had done it upon his own responsibility, or under the orders of the Noble Lord opposite. lie trusted that the Noble Lord would explain whether that letter had been written under his authority or not. Mr. Nangle wrote a letter to the Post-office, stating that he had purchased the paper on the understanding that it would pass free at the Post-office ; and that after read ing attentively the clause of the Act - to which Mr. Godby referred, he could not see that there was any ground for withholding the privilege which the paper had hitherto enjoyed. Between the Stamp-office and the Post-effice Mr. Nangle did not well know what to do.— (" Hear," and laughter.) The parties at the Post-office must have known that the paper had passed for eight months before by the consent of the Stamp-office ; and it was rather harsh to take the sudden step of which complaint was made. —(Hear, hear.) He (the Earl of Wicklow) hoped that it would be stated not only on what authority Mr. Godby had acted, but from what quarter the information had been received on which the Post-effice had acted against the paper.—( Cries of " Hear.") For he (the Earl of Wicklow) suspected that a certain party was concerned in it, from wharet the paper had already received great opposition. The indi vidual who illegally called himself the Archbishop of Tuam had long been opposed to this unfortunate gentleman. The Act under which the Post Office had proceeded was one of great severity; and whatever interpretation might be given to it by the Post Office or the Lords of the Treasury, the framers of it never meant to establish a censorship of the press, but carried into execution in this way it amounted to nothing else. By the Act the Postmaster General , with the approbation of the Lords of the Treasury, had the power to suppress any publication which they considered not to bear the character of a newspaper. He trusted when this case was understood, the public press would never tolerate so arbitrary an act on the part of the Government. The press had the power to control any such proceeding, and if the directors of the press only acted firmly together they would always be able to maintain themselves against any arbitrary enactment. But the Noble. Lord threw the blame of this transaction on what he considered neglect on the part of Mr. Nangle, and said that if he had, in the first instance, sent a copy to the proper authorities, this would not have occurred. He would now read a paper which had lately been issued from the Post Office, containing this clause—_" As it does not appear to be generally known that the mere affixing a newspaper stamp to a periodical publication will not entitle it, as of course, to pass free by post, it is recommended to those about to pub lish such papers to submit a copy in the first instance to the Postmaster-General in order that he may determine whether it is such to entitle it to pass free of postage." The date of this order was subsequent to the proceedings adopted against Dr. Nangle. He therefore thought the case one of great hardship, and, under the circumstances, he should more for a copy of the correspondence between the Rev. Edward Nangle and the authorities of the Post Office, relative to the passage of a paper through the Post Office called the Achill illigsionaruThratir _ _ _ The Earl of LICHFIELD could not help feeling that what the Noble Earl had stated as to the motives which had influenced the conduct of the Government constituted the gist of the attack of the Noble Earl. This he should dismiss, however, with the bare assertion that, instead of being in fluenced by such motives, when he (the Earl of Lichfield) heard such an imputation thrown out, he thought they could only arise in the minds of those who, under similar circumstances would adopt them. He did not object to these papers, but if the decision were favourable to the view taken by the Noble Earl, perhaps the Noble Earl would be satisfied without their production. The facts of the caso were these. Early in March some of these papers were circu lated through the London Post-office. By some mistake they had been permitted to circulate, and when they came into the inland office their existence became known. The superin tendent of the inland office thought proper to charge them with postage. The parties to whom the papers were di rected then addressed him (the Earl of Lichfiel) as Post master-General on the subject. According to the law he had no power to say that they should pass free of postb:Efe, and , therefore he was obliged to have the decision of the L ords of the Treasury. At the same time he wrote to Mr. Godby, th e Secretary to the Post office in Ireland, to charge the papal; with postage. Now in this Achill Herald there was no fie-- count of births, deaths—no reference to the politics of the day —no public intelligence. It was purely a polemical publica tion : but, notwithstanding this, his (the Earl of Lichfield's) impression was that it should pass free of postage. So far from the Stamp-office hating given any authority for its being a newspaper, in answer to a communication which he addressed the solicitor to the Stamp-office wrote back to this effect, that the paper inclosed could not have been legally published with out a stamp, but that had he believed Lad it been published without a stamp they should not have thought it right to bring' die question before a jury for the penalties, as they did not consider the question without doubt. In consequence of a re commendation which he (the Earl of Lichfield) made on tho 21st of this month, on the 26th the question came before the Board, and the decision come to was that the papers s hould pass free of postage. Under these circumstances he trusted the Noble Earl would not persevere in his motion, which, 35 the object had been attained, could only entail unnecessary and needless expense upon the department. The Earl of WICKLOW should rather see the returns, and as they were very brief, they could be obtained with little expense. It should be remembered that the order read by th e Noble Earl was only published after this gentleman's paper had been eight months in existence. Dr. Nangle, too, had informed him (the Earl of Wicklow) that the Stamp l'Ouire ce had told him that his paper was of such a nature as to req a stamp, and that if he did not affix one he would be Prose cuted. The Noble Earl had shown a letter from the Solicitor_ of the Stamp Office which appeared to qualify the assertion or Dr. Nangle ; but he (the Earl of Wicklow) had no hesitation in saying that he believed the statement of Dr. Nangle. The Earl of LICHFIELD said that the Stamp Office di.' not undertake to give a decision as to what entitled a news paper to pass free of postage. The Duke of WELLINGTON said that the whole clues" tion turned upon the notice from the Stamp Office. It ap peared that this gentleman resided on an island on the west coast of Ireland, and the Noble Earl opposite (the Postmaster- General) relied upon a statement made through the Post Of fice in London. The Noble Earl behind (the Earl of Wicklow) stated that Dr. Nangle bad had communication with the Stamp Office, and that he had been informed that there was no doubt that his paper, as a newspaper, was liable to a stamp' Now he might have had communication with the Stamp Office, in Ireland at the same time the Noble Earl (the E a rl or Lichfield) had communication with the Stamp Office in Lon don : but there was no doubt, as the case appeared at present, that he had been very ill used. Under these circumstances he (the Duke of Wellington) thought he ought to have some. compensation, in consequence of the one branch of the P°66 Office having corns to one decision and the Noble Earl to another. The Marquis of SLIGO said that, as the owner of the island of Achill, he could say that there was not a newspaPer reader in the whole island. The Bishop of EXETER suggested to the Noble Earl t (Wicklow), in addition to the words " authorities of the Post Office," the insertion of the words "and the authorities of tiles Stamp Office." The Earl of HA DDINGTON bore testimony to the very excellent character and most disinterested conduct of D r ' Nangle, who was called a missionary to the island of Achill. He was a Clergyman of the Church of England, and his ob ject in going there was to disseminate religion and morals amongst the population of that wild part of the country. The Earl of WICKLOW said that he willingly complie d with the suggestion of the Right Rev. Prelate, and that 117 had cast no imputation on the conduct of the Noble E 3 r 6 opposite, or on any portion of her Majesty's Government,' but upon the Post Office in Ireland, which, as he consider ed, had acted under the dictates of those who were opposed t° this clergyman. After a few words from Lord Holland, the Earl of Hadding ton, and the Earl of Lichfield, the motion was agreed to. On the motion or Lord KEN YON, the First Fruits 1 3 " passed through Committee. The report to be brought up to morrow. The Earl of FALMOUTH presented two petitions from places in Cornwall, one in favour of the immediate a b o lition of slavery, and t h e o th er i n f avour of a reduction of the rat es of postage. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE laid on the table certain returns relative to the state of crime in Ireland during the Pre sent year.—Adjourned. HOUSE OF COSIMONS, ArclL 2. The SPEAKIKR took the Chair at the usual hour. [We observed a great alteration in the position of the than' dithers by which the House is lighted, besides a considerab le increase in their numbers. They are raised very much nea rer to the ceiling than they were before, and five additional oneg have been put up, four of which are so suspended that they can be lowered to any degree that may be though t desirable. Two of them are large and circular, carry about thirty light s . E ac h h ave th e i r b r anch arms o f oak, and look singular, though not gr a nd. W e beli eve the alterati on has been made at the suggestion of Sir F. Trench.] SHAFTESBURY ELECTION COMMITTEE. Mr. BLACKSTONE, the Chairman of the Shaftesbury Election Committee, appeared at the bar, and stated that the t he a met this morning f or th e p ur p o se of drawing °Y e a special r e p or t, when they r ece i ve d a l e tt er informing Committee that Lord Ilenniker was prevented, from illn css ' attending ; that the Committee were therefore unable to pro ceed, and adjourned till ten o'clock to-morrow. A Medical Gentleman was then called in, who stated that he was in attendance on Lord Henniker ; that he had 5 e! .11 , him this morning, and that his Lord s hip wa s so much incl lj e posed that h e wou ld not be able to a tt en d t o hi s duty for s°ai days. Mr. BLACKSTONE then moved that Lord Hennike r be excused from further attendance on the Committee. Agreed to. On the motion of Mr. FIEL D EN, the Oldham Gab 3:11°I." Bill was read a second time.—Referred to a Committee. NOTTING HILL FOOTWAY Mr. HA YTER presented p et i t i ons f rom B a y s water al la St. Pancras against the Bill. ll Lord G. LENNOX moved the third reading of the and in doing so, begged to ask his Hon. Friend, the ige n ' c i, for Marylebone, was it his intention to oppose the third re ' ing, or did he still p ersevere i n hi s opposition to the Bill? the Mr. HALL w as un d erstoo d to say, that he wou ld take sense of the House on the last question, that the Bill do Pa' s ' after the amendments had been brought up. ent Mr. FOX MAULE said the attention of that depart ill d of the Government to which he belonged had been direct° t to this Bill. It certainly was the duty of that deP rt i , rn b e il li d to guard, as far as possible, against those abuses which had been apprehended from the institution in question. g o e u ght t framed four clauses with this object; and if the House fit to adopt these clauses, he should be prepared to suPP? r , the Bill. The clauses had been assented to by the pa rt i ,: at concerned in the i ns tit u ti on . H e w ould observe this was not a Bill for establishing the Hippodrome for tad ; first tim e .—( Hear.) It appeared that Hon. Gentlemen II:t overlooked th e ex i stence o f t h e Hipp o d ro me in its Preseith f )rm —( Hear.) If Hon. Gentlemen wished to do away vr to the Hippodrome as a nuisance, a Bill must be brought _ get rid of it.--( Hear, hear.) These clauses were for r` f? lating th e Hi ppo d rome, an d f or preven ti ng the wilful existenrc., of those abuses o f w hi c h c omplaint was made.—(